Visualizing the influx of Rohingya refugees

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

(Reuters) - United Nations aid agencies said this week they are ramping up operations in southeast Bangladesh where more than 420,000 Rohingya Muslims have sought refuge from violence in neighboring Myanmar.

Rohingya refugees struggle to get aid in a camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton

The refugees have come by land, river and sea, trekking for days in monsoon weather to find sanctuary in Bangladesh, where nearly 200,000 Rohingya were already living in camps.

A Reuters graphic shows how the influx of refugees accelerated in the three weeks after the violence began on Aug 25 when Rohingya militants attacked about 30 police posts and an army camp, killing about 12 people.

Myanmar’s military responded with a fierce counter-offensive that triggered the exodus of Rohingya to Bangladesh, putting a huge strain on humanitarian agencies in the Cox’s Bazar area.